CM Gupta rebranded AAP's Mohalla Buses project to take undue credit, says Bharadwaj; BJP hits back
A day after Chief Minister Rekha Gupta inaugurated 400 new electric buses under the DEVI project to provide connectivity to areas inaccessible by standard 12-metre buses, AAP's Delhi unit chief Saurabh Bharadwaj termed it a 'blatant attempt to mislead the public'.
The BJP hit back, saying the AAP failed to put the buses on roads despite inaugurating them.
New Delhi, May 3 (PTI) The AAP on Saturday accused the BJP government of repackaging the Atishi-led dispensation's electric 'Mohalla Buses' project, inaugurated last October, as Delhi Electric Vehicle Initiative (DEVI) to take 'undue credit'.
'The BJP is re-inaugurating the same Mohalla buses that were flagged off by the AAP government last year. This is a blatant attempt to mislead the public and take credit for a scheme that was already operational,' he claimed.
Responding to the allegations, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva said the remarks made by Bharadwaj reflected 'political desperation' and a tendency to 'mislead' the public.
He said the AAP government failed to deploy the buses even after inaugurating them, while the BJP government followed legal procedures and ensured their rollout to prevent disruptions in public transport.
Bharadwaj said the electric 'Mohalla Buses' project was launched in October 2024 with a contract awarded to the Central government entity CESL to maintain transparency and prevent any corruption allegations.
However, the buses did not meet the 50 per cent 'Make in India' compliance required under the tender norms at the time and hence were not certified, the former Delhi minister said.
'If the buses were non-compliant in October, how did they suddenly become compliant in April 2025? Or did the BJP government simply ignore the tender rules and put the buses on the roads for the sake of optics?' he asked.
Bharadwaj demanded a CBI inquiry into the matter, calling it a potential scam involving thousands of crores of rupees. 'We need to investigate whether this irregularity occurred at the level of officials or under political direction.' Delhi BJP chief Sachdeva said that the Atishi-led government hastily announced the launch of the buses under the 'Mohalla Bus' scheme before completing technical and documentation formalities. In contrast, the BJP government initiated the certification process, secured safety affidavits from the supplier, and deployed the buses in the public interest, he said.
After flagging off the 400 battery-operated buses, CM Gupta said that 2,080 more electric buses will be added to the fleet by the end of this year.
The DEVI buses are equipped with CCTV cameras, live tracking, panic buttons, and motorised ramps for passengers with disability. These vehicles also feature retractable steps at a low height of 40 cm to ease boarding and alighting. PTI MHS KVK KVK
This report is auto-generated from PTI news service. ThePrint holds no responsibility for its content.
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